


Gingerbread

by Emospritelet



Series: Sprite's Festive Ficlets [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 20:55:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16879029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emospritelet/pseuds/Emospritelet
Summary: Set in the Empty Corridors verse, about four years down the line.  Lacey and Gold are blissfully happy and Emma and Neal are visiting for Christmas.  Lacey has some news.





	Gingerbread

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Empty Corridors](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11335656) by [Emospritelet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emospritelet/pseuds/Emospritelet). 



> @thespinningmeanie prompted:
> 
> Golden Lace 2. “You want marshmallows on that?” and 24. “This hot chocolate has rum in it”

Lacey shivered as she shoved the front door closed behind her, shutting out the bitter wind and breathing in the scent of spice.  Gold had been baking again, it seemed.  He did that a lot these days.  Now that her studies were over, and they had moved back to Storybrooke, she was still adjusting to the slower pace of a small town, but he had slotted back into his old life with ease, reopening the pawn shop and spending his mornings tinkering with antiques.  He had left Dove overseeing most of his business interests, leaving him more time to spend with Lacey.  And to cook.  She had planned to get involved in the internet store she had set up for him, but Gold had told her there was no rush, and after working all hours to get her degree she was more than happy to take a few months off.  She had told herself she would start work in the New Year.  Funny how plans changed.

December in Storybrooke was always cold, but she liked it.  The thick snow made her incredibly excited at the thought of the Christmas celebrations that were approaching, and the freezing weather had led to lazy mornings in bed with the cats, hot chocolate by the fire and bracing walks in the woods with the cold air biting at their throats.  She was happier than she had ever been, and their lives had just gotten infinitely better.  Even if Gold didn't know it yet.

She stamped snow from her boots, white powder scattering on the mat as she pulled the hat from her head.  There was a murmuring from the kitchen, the sound of Gold’s voice talking quietly, and she wrinkled her nose in confusion.   _Maybe he’s on the phone._

“Hey!” she shouted.  “I’m back!”

There was a chirruping sound, followed by soft thumps and a rhythmic patter of little feet, and three cats trotted through from the lounge, tails in the air.  Lacey squatted down to scratch their ears, grinning as they butted their heads against her fingers.  Coal-black Severus let out a little squeak of greeting, and she rubbed at his chin, making him purr loudly.

“Hey.”

Gold’s voice from the kitchen made her look up.  He was smiling at her, his eyes crinkling, and she straightened up as Minerva began winding herself around Lacey’s legs, purring.  Lacey opened her mouth to announce the news she had been bursting to tell him, but Gold spoke first.

“Neal and Emma are here,” he said.  “Neal got the day off, so they thought they may as well head on up.”

“Oh.”   _Ah.  Well.  I guess it can wait a little, then._   “Great!”

“How’s Ruby?” he asked.

“Ruby?”

“You were going to have lunch together?” he prompted.

“Oh.”  Lacey recalled the tweaking of the truth she had employed.  She  _had_ seen Ruby, but briefly, and certainly not for lunch.  “Yeah, it was - she’s fine.  Granny has her doing a production line of those gingerbread cookies you like, so I got her to set some aside.  I’ll pick ‘em up tomorrow.”

“Sounds wonderful,” he said, stepping closer.  "Spice and sweetness.  My very favourite thing."

His eyes were glinting, and Lacey grinned at him, stepping close to twine her arms around his neck.

"Your favourite thing, huh?"

"Well," he said, sliding a hand around her waist.  "Besides you, obviously."

She stretched up to kiss him, and he tugged her close as his lips pulled at hers.

"Lacey, put him down!" called Neal from the kitchen.  "I swear, you guys are like horny teenagers!"

Lacey broke the kiss, falling back onto her heels with a giggle, and Gold raised an eyebrow, jerking his head towards the kitchen.

“Since we have guests, perhaps we could order some extra gingerbread,” he said, in a dry tone.

“Yeah, I’ll call Ruby and ask.”  She peeled off her gloves.  “She’s doing double chocolate ones too, so I’ll get a batch.”

“I’m sure my waistline will thank her,” he said, with a wry grin.

“All the more for me to love.”

“Positivity,” said Gold.  “I like it.”

“Well, that  _is_ why you married me,” she said lightly, and his grin widened.

“Oh, not the  _only_  reason,” he said, his voice a low growl, and Lacey felt her belly tighten pleasantly as she took off her boots.

“Now stop that!” she chided, looking up at him.  “We have guests.”

“Yes, please stop!” called Neal, and Gold chuckled, beckoning to Lacey.

“You must be freezing,” he said.  “I made hot chocolate.  Come on through.”

Lacey shrugged off her coat and unwound her scarf, bending to give the cats a final pet before wandering through to the kitchen.  She was immediately wrapped in a bone-crushing hug by Neal, a loud kiss planted on her cheek, which made her giggle.

“Merry Christmas to you, too,” she said, amused, as he pulled back.

“Sorry to barge in on you like this,” he said, ducking his head a little.  “It was just - well, it’s nearly Christmas, and Dad’s a good cook…”

“Hey!” said Emma indignantly.

“Yeah, I’m gonna second that ‘hey!’,” said Lacey, hands on hips.

“Oh, you guys are great, too,” said Neal hastily.  “ _Way_ better than me.”

“Nice save, doofus,” said Emma dryly, and wandered over to hug Lacey.  “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.”  Lacey hugged her back.  “Where’s Henry?”

“Taking a nap,” said Emma.  “He got a little over-excited on the way up when we told him we’re going to see Santa this evening.”

“I hope the sight of Leroy with a fake white beard and a cushion down the front of his Santa suit won’t be too much of a let-down,” remarked Lacey.

“Nah, he’ll love it,” said Emma.  “As soon as he’s awake I’ll take the bags upstairs.  We brought wine and chocolate and a  _ton_  of presents.  Oh, there’s something for the cats in my bag, and I think they know it.”

“Oh, they would,” said Lacey, looking sternly at the cats, who had followed her in.  Three pairs of green eyes gazed innocently up at her.

“Yeah, you’re not fooling anyone,” she told them, and Hagrid sat down to lick himself, one white leg sticking up in the air.

“Here,” said Gold, handing her a steaming mug of chocolate.  “That should warm you up.”

Lacey took it gratefully, raising the mug as the others reached for theirs.  The first taste was delicious, hot and sweet on her tongue, but she frowned.

“You want marshmallows on that?” asked Neal, holding up the bag.

Lacey licked her lips, glancing up at Gold.

“This hot chocolate has rum in it,” she said, and he looked puzzled.

“Well, yes,” he said.  “That is your usual request, isn’t it?  A bloody large slug of it, you always tell me.”

“Oh.”  Lacey shook her head, holding out her mug.  “Uh - you want this?”

“I’ll have it,” said Neal promptly, at the same time that Gold said.  “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” she insisted.  “At least - well,  _I_  don’t think it’s something wrong, I think it’s great, it’s just - I know we hadn’t really talked about it, and we weren’t really trying, but…”

“You’re pregnant,” guessed Emma, and Gold spat hot chocolate down the front of his suit, eyes wide.

“Well, I guess I better get used to that,” remarked Lacey, reaching for a paper towel to clean it off. 


End file.
